The Silent Power of Doing Less, But Better

I used to think success was about doing more.

More projects. More content. More hours. More connections. Just... more.

For years, this belief drove me to fill every moment with activity. My calendar was packed. My to-do list never ended. I measured my worth by how busy I was.

And while I was making progress, something felt off. Despite all the hustle, my most meaningful goals seemed to move forward in frustratingly small increments.

Then, during a particularly overwhelming week, I stumbled across a quote that stopped me in my tracks:

"Success is about subtraction, not addition."

This simple idea challenged everything I thought I knew about achievement. And implementing it transformed not just my results, but my entire approach to life and work.

The Costly Illusion of More

Our culture celebrates busyness. We praise the person working 80-hour weeks, juggling multiple side hustles, or constantly "on the grind."

But here's what I've discovered: beyond a certain point, doing more actually gives you less.

Less impact. Less joy. Less meaning. Less actual progress toward what matters.

Why? Because when everything is a priority, nothing truly is. The human brain isn't designed for constant task-switching and divided attention. Studies from Stanford University show that multitasking reduces productivity by up to 40% and lowers IQ by 10 points temporarily.

The more I researched, the more I realized: The most successful people in any field aren't doing more than everyone else. They're doing fewer things, but with extraordinary focus and quality.

The Art of Strategic Subtraction

I've spent the last year experimenting with "doing less, but better." Here are the three approaches that have created the most dramatic improvements:

1. The 90/10 Principle

Most of us have heard of the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle), which states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. But I've discovered something even more powerful: the 90/10 principle.

In nearly any creative or knowledge work, about 90% of the value comes from just 10% of the activities.

The practical application is simple but profound: Identify the 10% of your work that creates 90% of the value, then ruthlessly eliminate, delegate, or minimize everything else.

For Elevenstoic, I realized that just 10% of our content types were generating 90% of our growth and impact. By doubling down on those formats and eliminating the rest, we grew faster while actually producing less content.

Action Step: List all your current projects, commitments, and regular activities. Ask yourself: "If I could only keep 10% of these, which would create 90% of the value?" Be brutally honest, then begin planning how to eliminate or reduce everything else.

2. The Power of Creative Constraints

When we have unlimited options, we often create mediocre work. But when we impose strategic constraints, we force creativity and excellence.

Some examples:

• I limited my content creation to just two formats

• I reduced my working hours from 10 to 6 per day

• I narrowed my reading to just one book at a time

• I cut my workout routine from 6 exercises to 3

The results were counter-intuitive but undeniable. Less variety led to more mastery. Fewer hours produced better work. Reduced options created more creativity.

Action Step: Choose one area of your life or work and impose a significant constraint for the next 14 days. Reduce your tools, options, time, or resources by 50%, then observe how it affects your creativity and quality.

3. The Depth Archetype

Our culture celebrates people who seem capable of doing everything. But the most impactful people throughout history have been depth archetypes – individuals who go extraordinarily deep in very few areas.

Think of Steve Jobs and his obsession with simplicity and design. Or Martin Luther King Jr. and his singular focus on equality through nonviolence. Or Marie Curie and her relentless dedication to her scientific research.

These people weren't renaissance individuals excelling in dozens of fields. They were depth archetypes who chose few areas but mastered them completely.

Action Step: Ask yourself: "What are the 1-2 areas where I could create extraordinary value through depth rather than breadth?" Then create a deliberate plan to deepen your expertise and impact in just those areas.

The Three Questions That Changed Everything

Implementing the philosophy of "less, but better" requires ongoing vigilance. Three questions have helped me stay on track when I feel the pull toward more:

1. "What would this look like if it were easy?" This question, borrowed from Tim Ferriss, cuts through the tendency to overcomplicate. Often, the most effective approach is also the simplest.

2. "Is this essential?" Not "Is this useful?" or "Is this interesting?" but "Is this essential?" If something doesn't reach the high bar of essential, it's a candidate for elimination.

3. "Will this activity create compound returns?" Some actions create one-time value. Others create value that compounds over time. Ruthlessly prioritize the latter.

The Unexpected Benefits

The most surprising benefit of doing less, but better, hasn't been increased productivity (though that happened). It's been the return of something I hadn't even realized I'd lost: depth of experience.

When you're constantly switching between activities, you experience everything at a surface level. Nothing gets your full presence. Nothing penetrates deeply.

But when you commit to fewer things with total engagement, life regains its richness. Work becomes more satisfying. Relationships deepen. Ideas have space to develop fully.

In our culture of more, the ability to do less – but with extraordinary quality and presence – isn't just a productivity strategy. It's a quiet superpower.

TAKEAWAYS

• Success comes through strategic subtraction, not endless addition

• The 90/10 Principle: Identify the 10% of activities that create 90% of the value

• Creative constraints force innovation and excellence

• Become a depth archetype rather than trying to excel at everything

• Ask: "What would this look like if it were easy?" "Is this essential?" "Will this create compound returns?"

• Doing less, but better, creates not just better results but deeper experiences

P.S. Important update: We're closing down our current products very soon. This is your last chance to secure them at their current price. I've been working on something brand new – my complete system for creating the cinematic content you see on Elevenstoic. Stay tuned for the announcement soon.

Your Better Self,

Richard